Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today successfully defended grazing on public lands in the West during the subcommittee markup on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2011.  Simpson, who is Ranking Member of the House subcommittee that funds the Bureau of Land Management and other land management agencies, offered an amendment to strike language from the bill that would have created a voluntary grazing buyout.  Simpson’s amendment was accepted by a vote of 13-1.

“In the West, we know that if you don’t graze on public lands, you don’t graze at all,” said Simpson.  “Creating a federal buyout program is a dangerous step toward ending grazing on public lands, which would have a devastating impact on local economies throughout the West and would have unintended consequences on the environment.  Now is not the time to ignite another War on the West.”

In addition to striking buyout language from the bill, Simpson’s amendment inserted language to allow the BLM to continue working through the growing backlog of grazing permits that need to be reprocessed.  Similar language has been included in the Interior Appropriations bill since 1998, and the BLM requested that it be added again because of the positive impact it has had in allowing the agency to focus on environmentally sensitive areas without unnecessarily disrupting ranching in the West.

“The truth is that we need a comprehensive solution to the challenges posed by our current grazing policies, which are resulting in unmanageable backlogs that negatively impact ranchers and prevent agencies from spending their time and resources enacting good land management policies,” said Simpson.  “This language gives the BLM one more tool in the tool chest to help address the current backlogs, and I will continue to work with the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to develop a thoughtful, responsible, and long-term strategy that protects grazing interests while better monitoring range conditions and preserving ecologically sensitive rangelands.”

Simpson was also able to add language to the bill that would require the Department of the Interior to report on fees paid out under the Equal Access to Justice Act.  These fees have not been tracked since the mid-1990’s.  The Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for FY2011 will now be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee.